To Feel Alive
by TheEffectstOfBoredom
Summary: Illyasviel is many things. A homunculus. A Master. A vessel for the Holy Grail. More than that though, she's a girl. And she has her sights set on a certain boy. This time, she's not going to take no for an answer.


**WARNING: This story contains Lemon. Proceed at your own risk. **

The Fate Series is the property of those who put forth the time and effort to make it. All rights to their respective owners.

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><p>Deep in the forest outside Fuyuki City, there stood a single manmade island amidst the sea of trees. Tall, proud, and undeniably elegant, the Einzbern Manor was perched like some grand sphinx peering down at the cityscape with an air of total supremacy. The quiet serenity of the scenery mixed with the highly aristocratic atmosphere made it the perfect place to raise a child of dignity and noble bearing.<p>

"Just what's that supposed to mean you two-faced hag!?"

Failing that, it was also home to Illyasviel von Einzbern.

The main hallway of the manor, a place normally associated with pleasant greetings and happy guests, was the stage for what was quickly becoming a shouting match between two equally stubborn young women. Illyasviel, or Illya as she preferred to be called, trembled with barely restrained anger as she glared daggers at the person standing opposite of her. It was an action made only marginally less dramatic by the fact that her opponent stood a full head and shoulders taller than she did.

"What it _means_ is that your little plan is stopping here." Rin Tohsaka replied, her arms crossed and her eye twitching in irritation at the insufferable little girl. "I'm not, in a million years, just going to sit by and let you play out whatever demented fantasy has worked its way into your head."

With a huff, Illya spun on her heel, turning her back to her bitter rival with an intentionally overdramatic flip of her hair.

"And just how are you going to stop me?" She demanded, closing her eyes taking on an air of cold superiority. "We both know your Archer can't beat my Berserker. Why don't you just admit it? The only reason you're here…"

She spun back around, pointing an accusatory finger at the raven haired magus.

"Is because you're jealous that you couldn't do it first!"

"…_Jealous_…?" She questioned, looking for all the world like she was fighting the urge to be sick at some dark mental image. "I'll be painfully clear."

Rin leaned forwards, bending over to look Illya in the eyes. The meaning of the gesture wasn't lost on the albino girl.

"I really don't care all that much who Shirou decides to spend his time with." She stated, speaking with an air of condescending distaste that would have made Gilgamesh proud. "If he wants to waste his day entertaining _you_, I'm fine with that. However, since he's an ally of mine, I'm not at all fine with him being arrested."

Illya rolled her eyes, brushing a stray strand of pure white hair out of her face.

"I wasn't planning on doing anything illegal." She replied. "After all, killing people would ruin the mood. He doesn't seem to like it when I do that."

Rin raised a finger to her temple, either looking to alleviate some of the pressure building up behind it, or to imagine how relieving it would be to mirror the action with a handgun.

"Look at yourself in the mirror and then tell me you weren't planning to do anything illegal."

"I'm older than you are!" Illya shouted, stomping her foot down like an impetuous child.

"Saying 'your honor, she's technically old enough' _is not a defense that holds up in court!_" Rin shot right back.

The girls, opposites in almost every way, clashed in a silent glaring contest while two figures watched in the background. Leysritt and Sella observed the vicious exchange of words impassively from as far away as they could while still remaining in the same room. They knew better than to get involved in disputes between their mistress and the Tohsaka magus. If it came to a head, Illya would likely summon Berserker to her side. He would no doubt keep her safe from any harm, but they'd learned on more than one occasion that he had little patience for worrying about trivial things like collateral damage. Or aiming.

Even the less developed homunculi still had some semblance of basic self-preservation instincts.

Before the fabric of reality could tear open under the pressure of their exchange, Rin broke off the contact with a frustrated sigh and a shake of the head.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this." She started, her tone making it clear that she was anything but. "It's not the age of the mind that matters, it's the age of the body. I know what kind of activities you have planned, and I also know that following through on them will have some very serious consequences."

Without giving Illya a chance to fire off one of her no doubt numerous counterarguments, she turned back the way she'd come and strode off purposefully, leaving her diminutive rival sputtering in outrage at the sudden dismissal. Had it been possible to translate anger into pure energy, the expression on her face would have reduced Rin, the front half of the manor, the surrounding countryside, and likely a few stray planets to molten ruin.

"_That went well, didn't it?"_ Came Archer's chuckling question as soon as she'd closed the front door behind her and had begun her long walk home. _"Somehow I don't think she quite got the message you were trying to give."_

"I doubt she'd get the message even if I beat it into her skull." Rin replied. She could have easily thought the remark to her Servant, but there was nobody else around at the moment and she felt better speaking out loud. "Now get where I can see you. I've got a job I need you to do."

Archer materialized a short distance behind her, keeping stride with the young magus easily as his form went from ethereal to solid. The sunlight peeking through the trees covered the two of them in a shifting blanket of lights and darks as they walked together beneath the swaying leaves.

"I take it that this job has something to do with our resident homunculus?" He asked, giving her a questioning look out of the corner of his eye.

"Of course it does." She replied matter-of-factly. "That girl has absolutely no self-control, and worse, she knows how to manipulate Emiya far too well. So I'm going to need you to keep an eye on the two of them."

Despite the fact that no motor vehicles were present within several miles of their location, the forest was quickly filled with the sound of screeching brakes as Archer immediately ground to a halt.

"Wait… you want me to play babysitter to Shirou and Illya?" He demanded, any humor he'd felt after watching the little catfight earlier vanishing.

"Not exactly, but… well… yes. Exactly." She answered. "It's not like I want you standing right next to them all day, but since your eyes can see for very long distances that makes you the best choice for this. Just find some high vantage point and make sure that little terror doesn't manipulate Shirou into doing something he'll regret later."

"I'd really rather not…" He said, internally shuddering at the thought of some of the things he might see in such a situation.

"Why?" Rin questioned, narrowing her eyes back at him over her shoulder with a hand on her hips. "I know you don't like Emiya, but it's not like I'm asking you to walk up to him and make small talk. Just watch him. You can pretend you're scoping out an assassination if it makes you feel better."

It wasn't like he could outright tell her why the idea of watching Shirou and Illya toy around made him violently ill. That was one of the downsides of secret identities. Sometimes they screwed you over in the worst possible ways.

"I'd love to be your personal spy, but I can't because… I'm… uh… busy. Yes. I'm very, very busy today, so there's absolutely no chance of me being able to complete this task for you. "

"Archer…" Rin hissed, her eyes narrowing even further.

"Hey! Why don't you get Sabre to do it?!" He said quickly, desperate to change the subject. "She's practically attached to the red headed brat at the hip. I'm sure she'd love to chaperone the two of them."

"Sabre and Taiga went to that festival in Shinto." She explained. "It's supposed to be showing off all sorts of exotic foods and the two of them are planning on attending all day."

"What about Rider then?"

Now it was Rin's turn to act defensive.

"Uh, Rider?" She asked, suddenly turning away from him and fidgeting in place. He could have sworn she'd even blushed. "She's, well, already doing something for me. Something that will take up all this afternoon. And tonight. And most of tomorrow morning probably."

He remained silent, trying very hard not to think about the implications of what she'd just said.

"What about-"

"_Look _Archer!" She interrupted, whirling on him before he had a chance to continue. "This isn't a request. It's an order. You ARE going to watch the two of them whether you like it or not. If that harpy tries to trick Emiya into something obscene, you give me a call immediately. Understand?"

Heaving a deep sigh, the Servant resigned himself to what would no doubt make for another memory he'd be forced to repress for the rest of his life.

"Yes oh great mistress." He offered, his voice dripping with so much sarcasm he could have drowned a fish in it. "As your loyal slave, it will be my pleasure to watch the hero-complex punk and his jailbait girlfriend for the night. Something I might add, which is _also_ illegal."

"It's settled then." Rin agreed, either not seeing the irony or choosing to ignore it. "If anything happens, give me a call on my cell phone."

"…Your cell phone?" Archer repeated. "I could just talk to you through our link you know."

"Uh… yeah. About that." She turned away from him again, coughing lightly into her hand. "You might want to stay out of my head for the next eighteen to twenty four hours. You know, standard safety practices and all that."

Not for the first time, Archer cursed the cruel nature of his E rank luck.

Back at the Einzbern Manor, Illya was still trapped staring at the doorway that Rin had exited through. Every muscle in her body was tensed with the incredible desire to summon Berserker and have him turn Tohsaka into a fine red paste. She could probably even get away with it too. She'd just tell Shirou that his friend had been hit by a truck on her way home. A truck that happened to be pulling a train filled with anvils. Going around four hundred miles an hour. Repeatedly. That sounded like a solid explanation.

She didn't follow through with her urges however. She had bigger plans for tonight, and Rin's troublesome meddling wasn't about to derail her thoughts.

"Sella! Leysritt!" She called, causing both maids to jump to attention. "Fetch my purse. I need to do some shopping."

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><p>Illya had always been quite fond of seeing the sights in Fuyuki City. Having her entire childhood consigned to the snowy fortress of Einzbern Castle, she had been enraptured by the sheer variety of her new surroundings when she'd first arrived. Her enthusiasm for the city itself had diminished since then, but her love of seeing new sights had never waned.<p>

Even if those new sights were somewhat less than savory.

Seedy was one of the most accurate and benign descriptions of the neighborhood she found herself in that morning. The cracked sidewalks and fait overtone of smoke mixed with the general air of apathy didn't make it feel very welcoming. It didn't stop, or even slow her though. It was exactly the kind of place she had been looking for.

After her fight with Rin, she hadn't wasted any time in getting her own preparations under way. No doubt that meddling girl would be looking for some way to stop her perfect plan for the night somehow, so there was no sense waiting around when she could be getting everything ready.

After all, she wasn't about to let her eleven month anniversary with Shirou end on anything but a high note.

Though it had been almost a year (and her attention span was admittedly not as long as it could have been) she still remembered that first day with the utmost clarity. It had been a beautiful night in the children's park where the two of them had first become acquainted. And no, she wasn't counting the time she'd had Berserker almost split him in half.

That starry night, which probably would have been a lot starrier had they not been in the middle of the city, was the first time they'd shared a kiss together. It had been the start of their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend. Their long, wonderful, and all too _tedious_ relationship.

There was no doubt in her mind. Illya loved Shirou. Perhaps a little more than was healthy at times, but that wasn't important. Even so, she'd found that he was frustratingly hesitant to move things forwards. She'd wanted to be _with _him, not simply beside him. Shirou, for his part, had done an excellent job of making her feel important. He always took time from his busy schedule to give her the attention she craved so much no matter what else he needed to do. He gave her gifts just to see her smile, took her places whenever she was feeling restless, and was happy to cuddle whenever she got lonely.

When it came to the more mature parts of their relationship however, he was proving to be difficult.

Illya would have sooner tied herself to a burning stake above a pit of poisonous spiders than admit Rin had a point, but… well… she had a point. She and Shirou had never gone beyond kissing. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, he still saw her as the little girl he'd played with in the part. While that was preferable to him seeing her as the little girl who'd tried killing him, his friends, and his Servant multiple times, it wasn't how she wanted to be seen. Despite her appearances she was a young adult, and she damn well had the needs of one.

Which is exactly what brought her to the less-than-impressive neighborhood she found herself walking through. She had a plan to break Shirou's mental image of her once and for all.

Though her surroundings may have been questionable, she strode on without a care in the world. She was hardly concerned about being assaulted considering a single word from her would call up ten tons of Greek demigod to pulverize anyone trying to lay a hand her. This place held what she needed to win over her boyfriend once and for all, so it was as perfect to her eyes as a jewel studded castle.

It didn't take long for her to spot the place she was looking for. Nestled into a street corner, the sight of her goal hastened her steps as a smile that was anything but innocent broke out across her face. She nimbly sidestepped several pedestrians, earning more than one strange look at her curious coloring and elegant clothes.

Pushing open the front door, she was rewarded by a sudden rush of cool air conditioning as she entered. The day outside might not have been sweltering, but it was enough for her too feel it. Growing up in a magical forest where it snowed year round didn't do much to build up one's heat tolerance.

The Fuyuki Adult Emporium, named after the owner rather than the city, was not quite what it sounded like. Illya wasn't sure if the people who'd built it actually knew what the word 'emporium' meant, but the store (only about as large as one of the smaller rooms in her manor) didn't fit the mental image she had of one.

The 'adult' part however, suited it perfectly.

A little over a dozen different shelves were fitted into the middle of the store. Each one was advertising different toys, products, magazines, and paraphernalia whose sole purpose was to emphasize one of the most basic instincts in human nature.

Along the back wall were various outfits ranging from simple and seductive, to outright disturbing in their design. Each one came with a male and female counterpart.

Up at the register, there was only a single employee that she could see. The middle aged man held a coffee cup in one hand while resting his head on the other. His eyes were glued to the screen in front of him, not even having looked up as she entered the story. It was strange the way someone could look so bored and yet so interested in something at the same time.

It was probably for the best. Illya didn't want to have to explain what someone who looked like a young teenager was doing in here yet.

With the same doubtless confidence she always bore, the homunculus strode past the isles of scandalous items to take a look at the clothing. She hardly knew what most of the items on the shelves did, and she highly doubted they'd interest Shirou all that much either.

While the number of selections might not have been all that extensive, the variety was. No two outfits were the same and each one looked to emphasize a different type of fetish. Unfortunately, it seemed that they were also designed for women almost twice her size, and with about five times her bust. That could be fixed. It might take some time, but if Sella and Leysritt could work a needle and thread she should be able to as well. How hard could it be?

That just left the design to pick out. The first one that caught her eye was a silky black thing which had the word mature written all over it. Rubbing the material between her thumb and forefinger was enough to confirm that it was indeed very pleasing to the touch. The only downside was that it was made for a woman with curves that could be shown off. No matter how much she liked the dress, Illya knew full well that she could only pull it off if she was lying in a very specific pose and not moving at all.

With a small sigh of longing, she decided to turn her attention elsewhere.

The second getup was immediately dismissed from her mind. It was all studs and black leather with zippers in odd places. She had no clue how something so unnerving could be considered attractive.

The third looked promising at first. It was a play on an old fashioned schoolgirl uniform. The idea was simple, appealing, and would have been an excellent option had it not also been made for a full grown adult. The cloth was cut to hug tight to the wearer's middle and bring out their chest, of which Illya had very little. With that in mind, she'd have been better suited just stealing a school uniform from one of the other girls and wearing that. At least it wouldn't have cost her the over the top prices these people were asking.

Most of the other choices had much the same problem. One by one, she looked at and decided against each possible style. Too big. Too crass. Too Rin-ish. With each avenue she dismissed, her hopes began to fall. She'd never expected it to be this difficult just picking something out.

When she finally got to the end of the row, her heart just about dropped to the floor.

"Nooooo….." She moaned softly. It was exactly the kind of thing she _didn't _want. She'd known something like it would inevitably be in stock given the popularity of the getup, but it was something she herself loathed.

It was also the only option left, and with time starting to run out she couldn't afford to be too critical.

Had it not been for the theme she despised, it would have made a perfect choice. It was slim, cute, and had been made with the intent of appealing to younger lovers. It didn't attempt to flaunt any of the assets Illya lacked, and even made good on some of her stronger points. Not to mention, if the manga she normally read was to be believed, guys were supposed to love it.

Her head fell into her hands at the dilemma. She was doing this for Shirou in an attempt to sway his uncertainty. That was fine, all except for the fact that this was something she didn't _want_ to wear. She was spoiled. Illya was perfectly fine with admitting that. While her childhood hadn't been happy or pleasant by any stretch of the imagination, she had more often than not gotten what she wanted no matter what trouble it caused those around her. The concept of doing something she disliked for the sake of someone else was strange and alien to her.

Before she'd met Shirou, the thought of doing so wouldn't have even crossed her mind. This was all his stupid good influence rubbing off on her.

An unhappy hand reached out to pluck the offending outfit from its hanger. Holding it up to herself, she measured out the length of the modifications she'd have to make. Not bad all things considered. The legs, arms, and midriff would need to be shortened, but other than that it was mostly all right.

Folding it neatly, she began her walk back to the counter. Had an onlooker been observing her at the time, they might have noticed a sudden change come over the girl as she approached. A subtle spring entered her step. Her face became the purest picture of innocence. Her entire body seemed to get lighter until it was as if she were standing on air rather than on the ground. By the time she'd reached the front of the story, Illyasviel von Einzbern become the model of total young naivety.

"Hello!" She greeted happily, getting the shopkeeper's attention. As he looked up, he just about choked to death on the coffee he'd been taking a sip of. Not all that surprising a reaction given that the girl in his story could barely see over the counter.

"My mama told me to stop by and get this for her!" She said enthusiastically, placing the outfit down in front of him and wearing a cherub's smile.

"…"

Looking down at her purse, she frowned in concentration before pulling out a small stack of money.

"Is this enough?" She asked. It was far more than the price tag had advertised, but to an Einzbern, it was hardly pocket change.

Five minutes later Illya was skipping down the street while humming a merry tune to herself and clutching her prize to her chest.

_Too easy._

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><p>The sight of his front door was a welcome reprieve for Shirou Emiya. With everyone seemingly out and about, he'd taken the day to finish up some chores that he hadn't been able to get to during the week. Predictably enough, his inability to turn down others in need meant that his few chores had quickly become a lot more than a few. Even so, it felt good to help people, and he wouldn't need to cook for a large group. As far as he knew, all the others were busy taking care of their own lives so he'd be alone for the night.<p>

Stepping inside and slipping out of his shoes, he let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm home!" He called, deciding to announce his presence on the off chance that someone else was still around. Much to his surprise, someone was.

"Shiiiiiiroooooo~"

A sing-song voice echoed from his room, reaching his ears with the sweet and childish tone that he could only associate with one person.

"Illya?" He ventured. That was strange. He'd thought she was staying up at the manor for a while yet doing whatever it was that she did in that place. Had they made plans that he'd forgotten about? Given that she didn't sound angry, he doubted it. She was always very clear on expressing her displeasure.

"I've got a surpriiiiiiise for youuuuuuuu~"

"Surprise?" He parroted, not sure what else to really do. With her, a surprise could mean anything from an unexpected hug to total thermonuclear warfare. There was no way to be sure if she- Wait. A faint memory of the last time she visited drifted into the front of his mind.

"_Your room is so boring. You should let me help decorate it!" _

"_I like it this way. Besides, it doesn't need to be fancy."_

"_But think about it! You could have all sorts of stuff in here! You could put up swords like they do in all those old action movies, or a bunch of banners from all across the world. Oh! Oh! I know, you could have a statue of _me _put up in the corner! Doesn't that sound great?"_

"_Uh… Illya…"_

"_It's settled then. As soon as you get tired of this lousy scenery, I'll get to remodeling!"_

Oh God no.

He'd thought that it was just some passing remark that she'd end up forgetting about five minutes later. If she was serious…

Though he himself was no Heroic Spirit, he was willing to bet he'd have been able to outrun most of the classes in that instant. Shirou dashed through the house in record time, throwing open his door in a blind panic and utterly terrified of what he might see on the other side.

The moment he looked inside, he found himself entirely unable to speak. Or move. Or do anything other than stand there with a dumb look of shock on his face really.

On the bright side, his room was exactly the way he'd left it. The only difference was the presence of Illya herself. _She_ however, was vastly different from the prim and possessive young aristocrat he'd bought ice cream for just a few days ago.

She was kneeling on his bed, looking up at him expectantly with those giant crimson eyes. Her head was tilted slightly to the side and one hand had been raised in a mewling gesture. All of that was carefully put into place to emphasize one important feature.

Illya was dressed as a cat.

Not the Halloween costume style of cat outfit that girls would sometimes wear to look cute. It was, without a doubt, meant to be a sexualized outfit.

Pure white artificial fur which fit` the color of her hair almost exactly was puffed out over a matching fabric outfit. The shirt, if it could truly be called that, hugged tight to her body and stopped just above her stomach, giving him a clear view of her pale midsection. Apparently the initial length hadn't been to her liking as the bottom and sleeves were jagged at the edges as though someone had cut them with a pair of scissors.

Her shorts were somewhat odd. Too short to really be called shorts, but too long to qualify as fur panties. They too had been cut down to size rather hastily, leaving a clear indication of where the original material had been removed.

To top things off, a pair of fluffy cat ears were worn over her head on a band of clear plastic. Her arms, legs, and feet were left bare. Judging by the black flecks on her nails, he could only assume that she'd tried to paint them to look like claws but had given up and tried cleaning them off at some point.

For a long while, he simply stood there staring in silence.

"…Am I… interrupting something…?" He asked at last, his mind dominated by conflicting emotions at the unexpected scene.

"Of course not." She purred. Not just a cheap imitation purr either, she was fully committing to her design. "We can't start without you."

"…We?"

"You and me silly!" She chided, rising to her feet and stretching her arms behind her back. "I went to a lot of trouble to set this up. Do you like what you see?"

There was no correct answer to that which he could say without running into some kind of moral issue, so he stayed silent. Not deterred by his lack of cooperation, Illya sat back down on his bed and patted the spot next to her.

"Come on Shirou!" She beckoned. "It's awfully cold over hare all alone. Would you mind keeping me warm for a bit?"

"Illya…" He said with a weary sigh, shoulders slumping. "We need to talk about this."

"Talk over here then." She insisted, tracing her finger over the mattress. "Don't you know it's rude to hold a conversation from across the room?"

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the overly blatant display, he made his way to her side and took a seat. The moment he touched down, she immediately closed in and rubbed up beside him.

"Illya." He said again, more forcefully this time. "I'm serious."

"Talk is booooring." She whined cutely, the last part of her sentence coming out muffled she nuzzled her face into his neck. "There's other stuff I want to do. Stuff that's a lot more fun."

"That's enough."

Clamping his hands down on her shoulders, he forced her to sit back enough to look her in the eyes.

"Shirooou." She complained. "What's the matter? Why don't you want to play with me tonight?"

"What exactly are you doing?" He asked instead of answering her questions.

"I'm _trying_ to have fun with my favorite person in the whole world." She explained, attempting to worm her way closer as he held her back. "But he's being _very annoying right now and isn't letting me go._"

"That's not what I meant." He stated, giving her a serious look. "I mean, what are you doing dressing up like that and waiting around in my room for. This doesn't seem like you at all."

For a long moment, the two of them simply sat there staring in a battle of wills. Normally such an event would have been unwinnable for Shirou, but it seemed that luck was on his side tonight.

"Gah! Fine!" Illya exclaimed in exasperation, forcibly pushing herself away from him as though he'd been the one doing something wrong. She turned away, pointedly looking at the floor with an angry pout. "I'm sick of the way you look at me!"

Her answer only served to further his confusion.

"I'm not sure I follow." He offered, rubbing the back of his head. "Have I been bothering you somehow? If I have then please let me know. I wouldn't want-"

"It's because you keep looking at me like I'm a little kid!" She interrupted, rounding on him and jabbing his chest with her finger. "Because all we ever do together is kid stuff!"

"I thought you liked going to the park and-"

"_That's not the point!_"

By this time, Shirou got the message that his input wasn't going to help matters and promptly shut his mouth to avoid enraging her further.

"I'm talking about the _other_ stuff." She said. "The stuff boyfriends and girlfriends do together. Like… like what you did with Sabre… way back then…"

At this, she tore the artificial ear band off her head and hurled them against the wall with as much force as she could muster. It hit the wall with a surprisingly loud crack considering it was made of cheap plastic.

"You never even bring stuff like that up…" She said with a strange mixture of frustration and disappointment, wrapping her arms around her chest. Though he couldn't see her face directly, he could almost make out tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "And you never look at me the way you look at the other girls. You look at me like I'm just a kid."

With a small sigh, Shirou scooted closer to the girl. There was only one thing to do in such a situation. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders, he pulled her into a gentle hug. Despite her obvious displeasure with how things had gone, she didn't resist and turned into the embrace while muttering something unintelligible.

"Illya." He began softly. "Of course I look at you different. I couldn't _not _look at you different if I tried."

She seemed to shrink in on herself hearing those words, looking even smaller and more fragile than usual. Before she could be put through any further sorrow, he went on.

"…But that doesn't mean I don't love you." He said, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. "I do. You know I do. More than anything in the world. Nothing can change that. Though, just for the record…"

He pulled back a bit, looking down to her face with a small smile.

"If you don't want me to see you like a kid, you probably shouldn't try dressing up like a cat."

With a cry of annoyance, she gave him a small shove.

"You know, I only wore this stupid thing because I thought you'd like it." She grumbled. "It's ugly, itchy, and it doesn't smell very good either."

"I think you're supposed to wash it first." Shirou offered, chuckling as her face turned scarlet. With her exceedingly pale complexion, it was impossible for her to hide a blush. "As for the itchy part, that might have something to do with the fact that you've been attacking it with a pair of scissors."

Illya crossed her arms and looked up at him with a pout. It was the kind of adorable thing he'd grown used to when around her.

"It was too big!" She said. "What was I supposed to do? Wait for you in an outfit that's three sizes too large for me?"

"You could try not buying a cat costume in the first place?" He ventured, earning himself another play-shove. He simply responded by pulling her into another hug.

As the two of them relaxed into each other's presence, Shirou's mind started to take their current position into consideration. He'd known for a while now that Illya had been trying to push their relationship to the next level. It wasn't like she was being overly subtle about it after all. She didn't do subtle. If he was honest with himself, he wanted it just as much as she did. He wasn't lying when he said he loved her, and he'd been thinking about their togetherness for a long time.

Sadly, no amount of 'wanting it' could completely erase the strangeness of the situation. He was her adopted brother, and she herself looked like she belonged in grade school. It wasn't exactly an easy problem to fix. Even if he had been fine with that on a moral level, he would still be concerned by the very real possibility of hurting her.

That and the very real possibility of someone hurting him. He was fairly sure Taiga, Sabre, Rin, and possibly even Sakura would be lining up to smash him into the ground.

Even as those thoughts came, he also knew that this was something both of them wanted. They'd probably not have a chance like this for a very long time given how busy the house usually was, so if they were serious about going through with it…

Swallowing down his growing nervousness, Shirou decided that he was willing to take the first step. If something happened, they could stop. That was always an option. They were both here, and they both wanted this.

Taking a breath to steady himself, he raised a hand to Illya's chin and pushed her face upwards towards his.

"Shirou?" She started, only to be cut off as he placed a kiss on her lips. She tensed initially at the unexpected contact, but quickly relaxed into it, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him in tighter.

No matter how many times their mouths met, he was always surprised at how soft she was. She never wore lipstick or other such cosmetics so the only thing he tasted was Illya herself. It was definitely one of his favorite flavors.

They stayed locked in the kiss for a full six minutes, pausing only when one of them needed to breathe. As their lips made contact with each other, Shirou could feel the atmosphere in the room start to change. His hands held the girl close, one resting on the back of her head while the other massaged slow circles along her exposed lower back.

When they broke apart at last, he looked down to find a very different Illya in his arms. Her face was tinted red with a blush that was vastly different from her early one, and her eyes seemed to come in and out of focus as they met his. She was panting lightly from their exchange, her body heat and his own making the room feel much hotter than it had been a minute ago. And, more than any of that…

She looked hungry.

Her face spoke volumes about the desire that had been building up in her system all this time. The sheer intensity of it made him gulp in anxiety, suddenly unsure if this course of action was really a good idea after all.

"Illya?" He asked, drawing her out of her haze enough to make an acknowledging noise. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

It seemed like such a stupid thing to ask given the way she was looking at him, but some part of his mind still held some hesitation. He wanted to be absolutely certain that she was ready before they started anything.

Her eyes widened by a fraction and he could feel her tremble slightly, but she nodded in answer. A small but eager smile broke out on her face, and he could see that she was getting just as nervous as he was.

It was humorous to think that the two of them, Masters who'd fought beside Heroic Spirits with legendary powers, could be thrown off kilter by something that humans had been doing since the beginning of time.

Taking the lead, Shirou leaned forwards to kiss her again. The sensation was electrifying. Though they'd been doing much the same thing only a minute ago, it had a whole different kind of energy to it now.

_Gotta start somewhere._ He thought to himself, preparing for the first hurdle. His hands left their resting places, moving to her sides and coming together on either side of body. His lips left hers, causing a noise of protest to issue from the back of her throat. That complaint quickly turned to a suppressed gasp when he kissed her again on the edge of her mouth. Then her cheek. Then down her neck until he reached the spot where it met her shoulder.

Illya was practically writhing in his grasp, doing her best to stifle the noises that were building up in her core. It proved a losing battle. As he trailed those soft kisses across her collarbone and onto the top of her chest, a long moan broke free, filling the air with the sound of her arousal.

Taking the noise as a good sign, Shirou's fingers found the edges of her top and slipped underneath, causing her loose a startled squeak at their touch. He looked to her again, not daring to proceed without her permission.

Another nod and he was on his way.

Grasping the roughly cut edges of the cloth, he began to tug it upwards. Illya raised her arms above her head in order to allow him to remove the garment. It took several tugs, but the patch of furry cloth was soon raised over her head and deposited by his bedside.

Their actions paused momentarily as Shirou took in the sight before him.

Like the rest of her, Illya's chest was still rather small and undeveloped. That didn't stop it from being eye-catching though. Her beautifully creamy skin was as smooth as ice, drawing his eyes upwards to the tiny mounds that were dotted with pert pink tips.

"Stop it!" She squealed suddenly, drawing her arms over her chest as heat flooded her features. "That's embarrassing!"

"You came into my room, intent on seducing me with a cat costume, and you find this embarrassing?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. She just stuck her tongue out at him.

"All right." He chuckled. "If it makes you feel better, I'll take my shirt off too."

His hands reached down to the bottom of his t-shirt, intent on pulling it up and off his body when her hands suddenly grabbed his arms.

"Wait!" She said, looking decidedly uncertain. "Do you think… I could… I mean, could I take it off for you?"

He blinked in slight surprise at her request, but quickly nodded to let her know that he was perfectly fine with the arrangement. Their positions were reversed as he raised his hands up and she slipped the cloth off of his upper half. The transition went more smoothly as his shirt was actually designed for someone his size.

In only a few more seconds, the two of them were left topless.

Though the whole situation still felt more than a little strange to him, Shirou couldn't deny that seeing Illya like this was turning him on. Her modest breasts and silky skin drew him in as he leaned forwards to pick up where he'd left off.

Very gently, he pushed her back onto the bed as he positioned himself above her. His hands ran up and down her sides as he resumed his trail of kisses across her throat. His touch elicited numerous sounds from her ranging from high-pitched moans to airy sighs, each of which served to drive him on as he explored her body. As he made his way back to her chest, he began to drop down lower.

He made his way across her front and down to her stomach, listening carefully to the strange giggling sound that she would make whenever he passed over a ticklish spot. His journey did a full circle around her bellybutton before rising back up and heading for even more sensitive areas.

As his head came up his hands followed in turn, moving across her skin and up to her breasts. He could feel her heart rate and breathing skyrocket as his fingers began kneading the soft flesh. Her body twisted and turned, but his legs were on either side, so she was only able to move in a limited space.

Swallowing past the lump of anticipation in his throat, Shirou leaned forwards and took one of her nipples into his mouth.

Illya didn't even try to hold it in this time. As soon as his tongue began tasting her skin, she let out a deafeningly loud wail that made him very glad they were the only two people home at that hour. As it was, he still wondered if the neighbors had heard anything.

Releasing his hold on her tiny nub, he moved to give the other the same attention. Fair was fair after all.

While he certainly didn't have all that much experience in matters like this, Illya's reactions left him certain that he was at least doing something right. He kept up his oral stimulation for a long while, alternating between her two breasts as well as taking the occasional detour down her belly. Once she was left panting and breathless, he finally pulled back and started dropping his hands to her short-shorts. Once again, he was surprised to find that Illya moved to stop him.

"Not yet." She said between breaths. "I want you to… I want to make you feel good too first."

He was about to ask what she meant by that when she leaned up and began working his pants free. Seeing where she was going, he helped her out by removing his belt and standing up so that she could pull them down to the floor. Once he was left in nothing but his underwear, she hesitantly reached forwards, only to hesitate at the last second.

Shirou's breath caught at the sight of her on her knees while he stood up. The bulge in his boxers was very noticeable, and he could only nod in the same manner she'd done earlier, not trusting himself to speak.

Reaching past the fabric, she drew his manhood out into the open air, causing him to shudder as a pleasant chill surged up his spine.

For a moment, she simply held it in her hand, feeling the way it hardened at her touch and rubbing her thumb along the base.

Then she touched her lips to the tip and all conscious thought left Shirou's mind in a rush.

One soft kiss after another pressed against his organ, sending shockwaves through his mind as the homunculus worked him over. Her tongue poked out, tracing across his skin and driving him mad with the wet feeling of it. She drew back for a moment, running her tongue along the inside of her mouth in an attempt to build up moisture.

He knew what was coming next, but nothing could have prepared him for it. Grasping his shaft in her hand, she slid the head into her lips and just about blew his mind in an explosion of euphoria. The warmth was like a switch that turned all his nerves from normal to maximum overdrive, sending wave after wave of pleasure straight to his brain.

Having never done something like this before, Illya wasn't able to get far along his piece before she couldn't fit any more in. She seemed annoyed by this fact, and came to the decision that she would have to make up for it somehow. Placing one hand on his hip to steady herself, she grasped the base with her other and started to work his length while sucking the top through her mouth.

For Shirou, it was almost too much. He was helpless to do anything but stand as her toy while she made him hers. Her movements were inexperienced, and more than once he felt her teeth scrape against his skin, but the overwhelming sense of pleasure that came from her actions left him reeling.

With a start, he realized that he was quickly approaching his limit.

"Hold on a minute." He warned, placing his hand on her head to slow her down. "I think that's enough of that for the moment. Your turn now."

She didn't have to be told twice. Leaving his member half coated with saliva, she lay back down and raised her legs up so that he could pull off the last remnants of her outfit. Shirou accepted the aid gratefully, working the bottom half free and slipping it over her legs to drop in the pile of clothing that had built up on the floor.

He became aware of several things as he looked down. For starters, it seemed that Illya hadn't been wearing any panties underneath her costume. She was entirely naked on his bed as he got down on his stomach. In addition to that, she had a small patch of hair as white as that on her head just above her most personal region.

Shirou felt his heart rate shoot up as he inched his way closer, and he could tell that she was feeling much the same. As his head moved between her legs, he sight and smell of her sex dominated his senses. It was a feeling that made his lower part ache, but he kept it in line. There was still something he had to do for her first.

Moving forwards, he started licking at her folds, driving her voice several octaves higher as she cried out. Her legs wrapped around his head while his tongue explored her entrance and tasted the moisture building up inside. She was sweet, smooth, and had just a slight hint of musk. To him, it was nothing short of spectacular.

Slowly, he made his way higher, running his mouth across her womanhood until he reached the button at the top. His tongue started toying with that, and he was very nearly deafened by the earsplitting noise she let loose.

He made a mental note for the future. Illya was _very loud._

The teasing lasted for another several minutes before he felt her hands grasp his hair and force him upwards. His eyes met hers, and he knew that the time for playing around was over.

"Please…" She begged, making a face that was both painfully cute and incredibly arousing.

Shirou's mouth went dry as he began fumbling for his jeans.

"Yeah… just a second…" He panted. "I just need to find my wallet. It should have a-"

"You don't need one." She assured quickly, pulling him back towards her. "I'm on a pill. I've been having Sella buy them for me."

"Really?" He asked. "How long have you been doing that for?"

"Ten and a half months."

The information took a second to sink in.

"Wait." Shirou said, looking at her in disbelief. "You started taking those two weeks after we got together?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I _told _you. I wanted this a lot. For a long time. You were the one who never wanted to push things farther."

That would explain why she was so hypersensitive. She must have been going nuts if she'd been waiting for that long. With a chuckle, he moved so that he was above her once again as she rested along his bed. There was just one last thing that needed to be done first, and it was far too important to dismiss.

"Illya." He said, his voice becoming entirely serious. "I'm going to need you to tell me if everything is all right. If I start to hurt you, or you just feel that something is off, I want you to tell me right away. Understand? I'd much rather we stop halfway than have anything happen to you."

She opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again when she saw the look in his eyes. He meant those words, and he was very worried that he might end up causing her pain.

"I will." She assured. "I promise."

Satisfied with her answer, he moved up so that he was pressing against her entrance with his erect member. A minute ago he wouldn't have thought it possible but his heart was actually beating even faster now. He looked down into her eyes, feeling his own adrenaline mixed emotions mirror hers.

Mentally bracing himself, he pushed forwards.

The feeling of entering her was so intense that it even put her earlier mouth work to shame. Her body wrapped around his shaft like a vice, gripping him tighter than he would have thought possible. The whole thing was nothing short of incredible.

That is, until he heard Illya gasp sharply and clench her eyes shut.

Instantly he halted his progress, a thousand possible concerns running through his head. Not daring to move for fear of causing her any further pain, he held himself at the awkward angle.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concern filling his voice. "Are you hurt? Should we stop?"

For a short while, her only reply was the sound of her deep breaths. Once she'd recovered enough to make an action, she shook her head.

"Keep going." She said.

"Are you sure?" He asked, not fully convinced and truly afraid that he'd injured her.

Her eyes opened once more and stole his breath away with the look she gave him. The hunger from before was gone, and in its place was a need so strong it eclipsed the previous emotion entirely. The next words out of her mouth were not an assurance, or even an offer. They were an order.

"Keep. Going."

Shirou slowly eased into motion once again, pushing farther into her opening and feeling her nails dig into his back as he did so. When he could go no further, he began pulling back out, drawing a long shuddering sigh out of her with him.

"Faster."

He pushed back in, moving at a slightly increased pace. He felt her body tense up once again, but this time it wasn't pain that flittered across her features.

"Faster."

His movements increased in speed, pulling out and pushing back in with more effort each time. Her slick walls continued to grip him every inch of the way, making his progress both infinitely more difficult and all the more enjoyable. Her eyes were closed and soft moans seemed to pour from her throat with every breath.

"Faster!"

His thrusts continued to ramp up in response to her urging. As he pushed into her, he let one of his arms move down to rub against the spot of flesh just above her folds, causing her to cry out from the stimulation. In response, her legs latched around his waist like a lock, keeping him from pulling too far away.

"S-S-Shirouuuu…."

He could feel himself starting to build up inside. At this point, no amount of effort could keep the pressure at bay. His fingers worked her nub while his other arm kept him balanced, all the while keeping up the rhythm of in and out that was driving them both wild.

"I-I-I'm going t-to…"

His breath came out in gaps, struggling to fill his need for oxygen. The thick and sweaty atmosphere made it difficult to take in any amount of air, but he persevered. The last thing he wanted right now was to worry about passing out from suffocation.

"Shirou!"

She screamed in his ear, digging her nails into his skin. All at once, her inner parts clamped down on him with a vengeance. The pressure pushed him over the edge in an instant.

"Illya!"

His entire mind went blank as a wave of pure euphoria blanketed his senses. His body locked up against hers as his voice joined the sounds she'd been making. For a blessed age, the two of them rode out their climax in a state of pure and utter bliss.

When the last ounce of energy seeped out of him and his mind returned from its vacation into the realm of pleasure, Shirou slowly pulled himself out and collapsed beside the homunculus girl. Both of them panted from the exertion, thoroughly exhausted after their efforts.

Illya pushed herself onto her side, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips to his in a deep kiss.

"I love you Shirou." She said, her eyes twinkling in the dim light of the late afternoon.

"I love you too Illya." He replied without hesitation.

He would have to wash his sheets sometime before the others came home. Probably air out his room as well to get rid of the smell of sweat that had built up. Not to mention that he still hadn't cooked any dinner tonight.

Even so, Shirou found that he wasn't the slightest bit worried. Those things could wait. He had something more important he had to do first.

Wrapping an arm around the girl next to him, he drew her close and pulled the blankets over both of them. She responded by snuggling up against his chest with a hum of contentment.

* * *

><p>A mile away, perched on top of a building, Archer was seriously considering gouging out his own eyes with Kanshou and Bakuya.<p>

He'd picked out the spot specifically because it provided a perfect vantage point to scope out the Emiya residence. He'd fully intended to call Rin, and subsequently complete his little mission, as soon as the situation met her pre-established parameters.

The only problem being, they hadn't.

She'd specifically stated that she wanted him to call her when "that harpy tries to trick Emiya into something obscene". She'd tried all right, but he'd seen through it immediately. What happened after that had nothing to do with tricks or clever seductions, meaning he wasn't able to act on stopping it.

Thus he'd been subject to a torment even worse than having Berserker beat him to a bloody pulp. Watching his past self do the nasty with his foster sister.

"Hey man. Here. You look like you need one of these." Lancer said from his position seated next to Archer. He offered the twitching Servant a can of beer with a sympathetic gesture. "To E rank luck."

"To E rank luck…" Archer replied, downing the entire thing in one go.


End file.
